Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Business: Research

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the distribution of Government funding to support innovation in research-intensive businesses during and after the covid-19 outbreak, what proportion of the £750million grant package will be allocated to businesses (a) not in receipt of Innovate UK grants and (b) in receipt of Innovate UK grants.

Amanda Solloway: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 06 July 2020.The correct answer should have been:

On 20th April, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a £1.25 billion coronavirus package to protect firms driving innovation in the UK. This included £750 million of targeted support for the most R&D intensive small and medium size firms which will be available through Innovate UK’s grants and loan scheme. The Government has since confirmed that up to £500 million of this is for existing customers including £200 million of accelerated payments and up to £300 million for continuity grants and loans. £20 million of the remainder has been used to double the number of businesses receiving funding through the Innovate UK call for business led innovation in response to the crisis which was open to new customers. Over 800 companies have been successful in this competition. Innovate UK has also allocated up to £39 million to increase the business advisory support services available new and existing high-growth potential SMEs. The final part of this package was announced on the 27th June. The £191 million Sustainable Innovation Fund is open to new customers to help cutting-edge companies of all sizes recover, grow, and drive a re-building economy as well as support new green innovations, unleashing the sustainable industries of the future along the way. Beyond the Fast-Response competition, it is currently too early to state the number of businesses that have accessed this funding

Amanda Solloway: On 20th April, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a £1.25 billion coronavirus package to protect firms driving innovation in the UK. This included £750 million of targeted support for the most R&D intensive small and medium size firms which will be available through Innovate UK’s grants and loan scheme. The Government has since confirmed that up to £500 million of this is for existing customers including £200 million of accelerated payments and up to £300 million for continuity grants and loans. £20 million of the remainder has been used to double the number of businesses receiving funding through the Innovate UK call for business led innovation in response to the crisis which was open to new customers. Over 800 companies have been successful in this competition. Innovate UK has also allocated up to £39 million to increase the business advisory support services available new and existing high-growth potential SMEs. The final part of this package was announced on the 27th June. The £191 million Sustainable Innovation Fund is open to new customers to help cutting-edge companies of all sizes recover, grow, and drive a re-building economy as well as support new green innovations, unleashing the sustainable industries of the future along the way. Beyond the Fast-Response competition, it is currently too early to state the number of businesses that have accessed this funding

Department of Health and Social Care

Pancreatic Cancer: Surgery

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of on patients of the pause in pancreatic cancer surgery during the covid-19 outbreak; and what steps he is taking to reduce the waiting list for pancreatic cancer surgery.

Jo Churchill: On 8 June 2020, the National Cancer Director and the National Clinical Director for Cancer issued a further letter of guidance to National Health Service cancer services on ‘Second phase of NHS response to COVID-19 for cancer services’. The letter notes that the work for local systems and Cancer Alliances to identify ring-fenced diagnostic and surgical capacity for cancer should now be well advanced, so that referrals, diagnostics and treatment can be brought back to pre-pandemic levels at the earliest opportunity to minimise potential harm, and to reduce the scale of the post-pandemic surge in demand. The new guidance is based on three key principles: capacity, fairness and confidence. Cancer Alliances should work with their regional teams to provide such services.

Pancreatic Cancer: Medical Treatments

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans the Government has for the (a) timely diagnosis of and (b) deliver prompt treatment and care for people with pancreatic cancer during the covid-19 outbreak.

Jo Churchill: On 8 June 2020, the National Cancer Director and the National Clinical Director for Cancer issued a further letter of guidance to National Health Service cancer services on ‘Second phase of NHS response to COVID-19 for cancer services’. The letter notes that the work for local systems and Cancer Alliances to identify ring-fenced diagnostic and surgical capacity for cancer should now be well advanced, so that referrals, diagnostics and treatment can be brought back to pre-pandemic levels at the earliest opportunity to minimise potential harm, and to reduce the scale of the post-pandemic surge in demand.The NHS is now working on the restoration and recovery of all cancer services. We are encouraging anybody with symptoms that could be indicative of cancer to contact their general practitioner (GP). GPs will continue to refer on to cancer pathways in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance so that patients can be managed appropriatelyNHS England and NHS Improvement have launched a public information campaign, ‘Help us to help you’, which urges the public to contact NHS services if they have a worrying symptom. The NHS will continue to repeat this message in the coming weeks.

School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to resume the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 01 July 2020



The School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme will resume in September when all children will return to school. As before, all children in Key Stage 1 in state-funded primary schools will receive a free piece of fruit or vegetable every school day.

School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding has been reallocated from the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme since March 2020; and where that funding was reallocated to.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 01 July 2020



The School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme budget for the summer term was around £14 million. Funds which were not used for the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme during the summer term were instead used to support the Government’s key priorities during the pandemic.

Cancer: Health Services

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on what date cancer treatment in the NHS will resume at levels seen before the covid-19 outbreak.

Jo Churchill: On 8 June 2020, the National Cancer Director and the National Clinical Director for Cancer issued a further letter of guidance to National Health Service cancer services on ‘Second phase of NHS response to COVID-19 for cancer services’. The letter notes that the work for local systems and Cancer Alliances to identify ring-fenced diagnostic and surgical capacity for cancer should now be well advanced, so that referrals, diagnostics and treatment can be brought back to pre-pandemic levels at the earliest opportunity to minimise potential harm, and to reduce the scale of the post-pandemic surge in demand. The new guidance is based on three key principles: capacity, fairness and confidence. Cancer Alliances should work with their regional teams to provide such services.

School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to reinstate the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 02 July 2020



The School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme will resume in September when all children will return to school. As before, all children in Key Stage 1 in state-funded primary schools will receive a free piece of fruit or vegetable every school day.

School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the effect on children's well-being of the temporary suspension of the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme.

Jo Churchill: On 18 March the Government announced that from 23 March 2020, as part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, schools would remain open only for a limited number of pupils - vulnerable children and children of key workers, as defined by the Government.A decision was taken in March that the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme (SFVS) would not operate for the whole of the summer term of 2020, recognising the substantial operational difficulties which would need to be resolved in order to restart a large, national scheme like the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme part-way through a term. This ensures that as little fresh produce goes to waste as possible. The funding for the SFVS which will not be spent during the summer term is being used to support the National Health Service and other priorities during the pandemic.

School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the status is of the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 06 July 2020



The School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme will resume in September when all children will return to school. As before, all children in Key Stage 1 in state-funded primary schools will receive a free piece of fruit or vegetable every school day.

Breast Cancer: Plastic Surgery

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the waiting times for mastectomy reconstruction were in (a) 2018 and (b) 2019, by NHS Trust.

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the waiting times are for mastectomy reconstruction, by NHS Trust.

Jo Churchill: Data on the average waiting time for mastectomy reconstruction in 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20 are attached. Data for 2019-20 is provisional.



PQ68689_PQ68690_data
(Excel SpreadSheet, 46.73 KB)

School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to reintroduce the school Fruit and Vegetable scheme when schools return in September 2020.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 08 July 2020



The School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme will resume in September when all children will return to school. As before, all children in Key Stage 1 in state-funded primary schools will receive a free piece of fruit or vegetable every school day.

Meat: Public Opinion

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the joint review by the Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland on UK-wide meat, what steps he is taking to increase the level of public confidence in the safety and authenticity of UK meat.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 20 July 2020



Consumer confidence is critical to the Food Standards Agency (FSA), and confidence in the authenticity of the food people buy or eat currently stands at 76%, verified through its bi-annual Public Attitudes Tracker.The FSA has invested in a new change programme – Operational Transformation Programme – to effectively modernise its role as a regulator for the meat, wine and dairy industries. At the heart of this programme are seven core principles which underpin the ongoing development and implementation of change. One of these principles is focused on consumer confidence and trust in food safety, which will continue to ensure we can provide assurance on food safety and authenticity.

Department for Education

Apprentices: Taxation

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the of unspent levy funds.

Gillian Keegan: The government is committed to improving the working of the apprenticeship system and the apprenticeship levy. Ministers and officials meet regularly with HM Treasury to discuss all matters relating to apprenticeships, including how to best support employers to develop apprenticeship programmes and spend their available funds. We also continue to work closely with businesses and to listen to their views about the operation of the levy and the apprenticeships program more broadly, taking into account the impact of COVID-19.We recognise that employers, at the moment, face increased challenges with hiring new apprentices. To encourage employers of all sizes to take on apprentices, and to support large employers to spend their levy funds, we will introduce a new payment of £2,000 to employers in England for each new apprentice they hire aged under 25, and a £1,500 payment for each new apprentice they hire aged 25 and over, from 1 August 2020 to 31 January 2021. We will also ensure that there is sufficient funding to support small businesses wanting to take on an apprentice this year.Employers’ levy funds are not the same as the department’s ring-fenced apprenticeship budget, which is set to fund apprenticeships in England only. This budget is used to fund training for new apprenticeship starts in levy and non-levy paying employers and to cover the ongoing costs of apprentices already in training. It is also used to cover the cost of end-point assessment and any additional payments made to employers and providers. We do not anticipate that all employers who pay the levy will need or want to use all the funds in their accounts, however they are able to. This means that levy payers’ unspent funds are not lost but are used to support apprenticeships in smaller employers and additional payments. We have also increased the number of reservations that SMEs can now make through the apprenticeship service, from 3 to 10, enabling them to recruit more apprentices.

Home Office

Business: Coronavirus

Sir Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effect on businesses of Government proposals for a mandatory quarantine period after air travel from overseas.

Kevin Foster: Our priority will always be to protect the public’s health, to contain the spread of the virus and prevent a second wave. We recognise these are extremely difficult conditions for businesses and the Government continues to support businesses through one of the most generous economic packages provided anywhere in the world.It has always been understood the measures taken to limit the spread of COVID-19 will have a substantial impact on our economy, but these measures were essential to protect our NHS and save lives. The Home Office has continued to work closely with industry partners ahead of announcing new measures which are subject to regular review. This will ensure they are in line with the latest scientific evidence and remain effective and necessary.

Human Trafficking: Prisoners

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number of people with a past or present National Referral Mechanism referral who are in custody in the UK as at 16 July 2020.

Victoria Atkins: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 24 July 2020.The correct answer should have been:

The Single Competent Authority (SCA) operates the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) which is a civil process for the identification and support of victims of modern slavery. The SCA does not hold real time data on the number of individuals referred into the NRM who are in custody at any specific time.The Single Competent Authority (SCA) operates the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) which is a civil process for the identification and support of victims of modern slavery. The SCA does not hold real time data on the number of individuals referred into the NRM who are in custody at any specific time. The SCA requests information from all parties, as required and relevant, in order to make effective decisions about an individual’s modern slavery/human trafficking experience(s). Information regarding remands in custody or sentences will not be relevant to the decision as to whether a person was a victim of Modern Slavery.

Victoria Atkins: The Single Competent Authority (SCA) operates the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) which is a civil process for the identification and support of victims of modern slavery. The SCA does not hold real time data on the number of individuals referred into the NRM who are in custody at any specific time.The Single Competent Authority (SCA) operates the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) which is a civil process for the identification and support of victims of modern slavery. The SCA does not hold real time data on the number of individuals referred into the NRM who are in custody at any specific time. The SCA requests information from all parties, as required and relevant, in order to make effective decisions about an individual’s modern slavery/human trafficking experience(s). Information regarding remands in custody or sentences will not be relevant to the decision as to whether a person was a victim of Modern Slavery.

Cabinet Office

Public First

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reason the titles (a) GOV COMMS EU EXIT PROG and (b) EU EXIT COMMS were  used as cost codes for two contracts awarded to Public First Limited since the beginning of March 2020.

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reason a retrospective direct award letter was sent to Public First Limited on 5 June 2020 formalising contracts that had been awarded in March 2020.

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many focus groups will be carried out under the contracts awarded to Public First Limited.

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the findings of the focus groups carried out under the contracts awarded to Public First Limited have been shared with other Government departments.

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the findings of the work carried out under each contract awarded to Public First Limited.

Neil Gray: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish all documentation, emails and correspondence relating to the award of the focus group contract to Public First.

Neil Gray: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reason the focus group contract awarded to Public First was not put out for competitive tender.

Neil Gray: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the value was of each of the last 15 focus group contracts procured by the Government.

Neil Gray: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Prime Minister or any of his advisors have met with representatives of Public First in the last 12 months.

Neil Gray: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether (a) the Prime Minister and (b) his advisors were involved in the procurement of the focus group contract awarded to Public First.

Neil Gray: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether (a) the Prime Minister and (b) any of his advisors were required to sign off the award of the focus group contract to Public First.

Julia Lopez: Further to the answer given by the Paymaster General on 16 July 2020, Public First was engaged by the Cabinet Office to test public opinion and reaction to government messaging including focus groups for COVID-19 research. This work has helped to understand public attitudes and behaviours to inform our vitally important public health messages and policies, and has enabled us to deliver a strong, national, cross-government communications campaign to support the UK’s response and recovery from the pandemic.In the discharge of this activity it was necessary for Public First to meet with civil servants to report on the findings of the focus groups. Public First also provided on-site resource to support Number 10 communications. In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not normally disclosed. Any Government announcements will be made in the usual way.Cabinet Office publishes expenditure, including on research, on a rolling monthly basis, and details of its contracts on GOV.UK as part of routine government transparency arrangements. GOV COMMS EU EXIT PROG and EU EXIT COMMS were existing cost codes used to pay invoices relating to COVID-19 research within a reasonable period of time. These payments were subsequently journaled over to the COVID-19 cost centre once that was created.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Biometrics: Private Companies

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans his Department has in place for the oversight of private companies' use of live facial recognition technology.

Mr John Whittingdale: The use of biometric data (including facial images) by private companies to identify individuals is regulated by the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018. Under the legislation, data processing must be fair, lawful and transparent. Individuals who consider their data has been misused can make complaints to the Information Commissioner's Office, the independent regulator of the legislation. To ensure a safe use of facial recognition technology (FRT) in all sectors, the government tasked the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation (CDEI) to produce a Snapshot briefing paper looking at the uses and potential implications of facial recognition technology’s deployment in the UK. The paper was published on 28 May and we are considering its findings.

5G: Huawei

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the level of the increase in Huawei equipment used in UK 5G mobile networks to date; and what the proportion was of Huawei equipment in UK mobile 3G networks in 2010.

Matt Warman: The Telecoms Supply Chain Review report (published in July 2019) set out estimates of Huawei’s market share in the UK focused on 4G and full fibre networks. The Review did not collect information that would allow us to estimate Huawei’s market share in 3G networks either now or in 2010. Analysis from the Review assessed that there would likely be a significant increase in the use of Huawei equipment for 5G access networks overall compared to the use of its equipment in current (3G/4G) networks. In January the Government set out the conclusions from the Telecoms Supply Chain Review in relation to high risk vendors including that they should be excluded from the sensitive core of the network and restricted to a cap of up to 35% in the access network, subject to an NCSC approved mitigation strategy. On 14 July, the Government set out further restrictions on the use of Huawei equipment in the UK’s 5G networks, by advising operators against procuring affected Huawei 5G equipment, and to remove all Huawei equipment from the 5G network by 2027.

5G: Safety

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the implications of his policies of the report entitled Allaying health concerns regarding 5G and exposure to radio waves (2nd edition), published by the Institute on Engineering and Technology on 13 July 2020; and what steps the Government is taking to reduce misinformation on 5G safety.

Matt Warman: Government is guided by Public Health England’s (PHE) independent advice on radio waves, which is clear that exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) is not new and there is no credible evidence of an impact of 5G on public health. PHE is committed, along with Ofcom, to continually monitor and assess the evidence applicable to this and other radio technologies. The report published by the Institute on Engineering and Technology on 13 July 2020 supports the view that 5G will have no negative impact on public health.Claims that the introduction of 5G could affect people’s health are unfounded and should not be used as a basis to block or delay its rollout. Companies have been rolling out 5G in the UK since 2019, bringing greater speed, capacity and functionality to mobile services, opening up new opportunities for people, businesses and public services.Recently, conspiracy theories have been shared online that claim 5G mobile is connected to the spread of the coronavirus. This is wrong. There is no scientific basis or credible evidence for these claims. The Government takes the issue of misinformation and disinformation very seriously. The Government’s Counter Disinformation Unit was PCT Checked PS Checked Spad Checked Ministerial Approval established in March 2020 and continues to work with Whitehall departments, social media platforms, the National Crime Agency and mobile network operators to tackle misinformation and disinformation.